Door mounting



" A..WARTIAN "n ooR mount-me July 13, 1948.

4 Shegts-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1 0, 1944 ATTORNEY July 13, 1948.

Filed Au 10', 1944 A, WARTIAN DOOR MOUNTING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY A. WARTIAN DOOR MOUNTING July 13, 1948.

4 Shets-Sheet s Fiied Aug. 10, 1944 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J y 13, 1948. A. wAT|A- 2,445,131]

noon MOUNTING Filed Aug. 10, 1944 -4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR M f laY/liyqflw ATTORNEY Patented July 13. 1948 a I 2,445,131 noon MOUNTING Avagim Wartian, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 10, 1944, Serial No. 548,813

This invention relates to mechanism utilized for the mounting of a door on an airplane.

' Those skilled in the art appreciate that an airplane door preferably has its exterior surface in streamlined alignment with the outer surface of the fuselage wall when the door is in closed or nested relation to the doorway it is adapted to'clo'se. Such mounting of a door may be obtained through the utilization of hinges of the concealed type adapted to mount the door for swinging movement into and out of closed or nested position relatively to the doorway. However, inthe modern airplanes now being developed by designers, the fuselage in which the doorway is locatedis so close to the ground when the airplanehas landed, that it is impossible to utilize a swinging door- This is true because of the substantially circular cross-section of the fuselage and the fact that the doorway will be formed in the lower art of the fuselage and with the upper and lower hinges ofiset vertically so that the door must swing downwardly as well as outwardly to "open position. Those skilled in the art will fully appreciate the problem.

- It is the object of my invention to contribute a door mounting mechanism that will mount a door for movement-into and out of closed or "nested relation-'to'a doorway whereby to admit full-use of the-doorway; It is the further object of my invention to contribute such a door mounting mechanism adapted for use on anairplane fuselage in the manner I have outlined. As a feature of my invention whereby the objects thereof are madepossible; I utilize mounting 'means that maintain the door for inward and outward movement relatively to the doorway of the fuselage. with the door being slidable 0n the said mounting means to one side of the doorway once the door has been moved outwardly and 'out of nesting relation relatively to the doorway. a more detailed feature of my invention, I utilize means *that' mount the door for sliding movement; preferably onrollers and trackways both'inwardly and outwardly of the doorway, and to one side of' the doorway. As a more detailed feature of this part of my invention, a traokway for the door is mounted on the exterior wa11 of the'fuselage, the door being adapted to slide on the said trackway and also on a trackway thatis slidableinwardly and outwardly of the doorway. Obviously, -whenthe two trackways are brought into longitudinal alignment through "the'movem'ent of the door and one trackway outwardly of the-doorway, the door may slide on .Zthe' other trackway v to one side of the doorway.

4 Claims. (01. 244-129) I have thus described generally the objects and the more important feature of my invention in order that those skilled in the art may better understand the nature of my invention andits relation to the prior art. It will, of course, be understood that my contribution may be embodied in mechanical means other than those that I shall herein describe and illustrate and that the claims to be granted me should not be limited therefore to the specific embodiment of my invention hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an airplane in which my invention is embodied. Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken along lines 2-2 of- Figure 1 showing the door'in closed position in Figure 2 andin open position in Figure 3. Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 2: while Figure. 5 is a similar section taken along lines 5-5 '.of Figure 3, but illustrating the door moved to one side of the doorway.

' Figure 6 isan'enlarged view of the door shown in Figure 1 with a part of the door out out to illustrate the lock carried thereby. Figure 7 illustrates thedoor' moved to one side from its position of Figure 6 and into the open position of Figure 5. Figure 8 is an exploded view of parts of my door mounting means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral Ill indicates the exterior structural wall of the fuselage of an airplane, while reference numeral l I indicates the doorway formed in the fuselage, as best shown in Fig. '7.

Exterior wall It may-be of any desired thickness and will naturally haveinner and outer surfaces suitably held in assembled relation. The door for the fuselage doorway H is designated by reference numeral l2 and is adapted to move from a nested or closing relation to the doorway H as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, to its open position at one side of the doorway illustrated best in Figs.'5 and 7.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive and Fig. 8, the doorway l I has mounted near each of its four corners a channel formed of sheet metal. The four channels are maintained parallel as best illustrated in Fig. 8 where they bear reference numerals l3, l4, l5 and I6, and are intended preferably to lie substantially horizontally when the plane is on the ground. A pair of rollers I1 is adapted for rolling movement in each of said channels, each pair of rollers ll being carried by a sheet metal strip l8 formed as illustrated inthe drawings.

The upperandlower-strips 18 at each side of The two upper strips l8 are welded or otherwise secured to an upper channel that varies from the channels l3-l6 in that it has inwardly pro jecting retaining flanges 2| whose function will presently be indicated. The lower strips I8 are similarly secured to a second channel- 22; the

same in construction as upper channel 20. I

The door 12 is formed of any suitable con struction and its exterior surface is curved as I best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 so that when the door is in closedposition the said exterior surface will form a streamlined extension of theouter surface of. the exterior wall [0 :ofthe fuselage. The inner surface of the door I2 is formed of sheet metal. designated by reference numeral 23 and is secured-in reinforcedrelation to the outer surface by a series of structural channel members 24. A series of studs 25 are bolt-ed to the channel members 24 and on these studs are mounted three upper rollers and three lower rollers 26.

The rollers 26 are adapted for rolling action in the upper channel .20 and in thelower channel 22 as is, of course, apparent. In addition, the rollers cooperate with the flanges 2| of the upper channel 20 and flanges 21a of the lower channel 22, so as to maintain the door secured to thesaid channel-sfor inward and outwardmovement relatively to the doorway I 1'. Thus, with the door in its closed position of Fig. 2, the-channelsem, 22 are maintained in an inward position relatively to the several channelsl3-l6 through the'several rollers H, but adapted for outwardlsliding movement on said rollers.

Through a pair of bolts 3.0 controlled by a handle 31, as best illustrated in Fig. 6, the door may be locked in closed position, the bolts entering holes 32 formed in the metal outlining the doorway ll of the plane. By rotating the handle 3l and releasing the bolts 3U,the door I2 is conditioned for movement from its position of Fig. 2 to its position of Fig. 3. This movement is, of course, obtained through the integral sliding of the door E2, the six rollers Bathe channels 29., 22 and the four strips [8 on theroller-s l1 relatively to the channels. I3--l6. Thisoutward sliding movement may be limited by plates 33 extending from between the strips ['8 and the upper and lower channels 20, 22 t is readily seenin Figs. 4 and 5, thesaid plates impinging on limit. surfaces 34. The outward movement of the door may also be limited by the rollers I1 cooperating with the end surfaces [311 and l6a of channels l3 and I6, respectively. s

When the door l2 has beenmovedto. the position of Fig. 3, its several rollers Zlibecome aligned with an upper channel 35. and a lower channel 36. These channels. are secured to the exterior wall I0 of-the fuselage at one side of the doorway as is best apparent in'Figs. 1, 6 and 7,, and. are of substantially the same construction as the channels,2li,.22. It is obvious that the rollers 3t will slide from within the channel 20, 222 into channels 35, 36 so as to carry the. door into itsopen position of Figs. 5 and'l. If it tbenow desired to 4 close the door it is only necessary to slide the door to the left from its position of Fig. 5, whereupon the rollers 26 will leave the channels 35-36 and enter the channels 2|], 22 so as to bring the parts to the position of Fig. 3. With the door l2 then in alignment with the doorway l I, the application of pressure to the door will move it and the channels 20, 22 on the rollers I! of strips l8 to the position of Fig. 2. The bolts 30'may then be utilized to lock the door as best illustrated in Fig. 6.

It will now be perceived that through my inven- "tion' the door i2 is readily and easily brought into nested relation to the door way, or is moved out of l nested relation and completely to one side of thedoorwaysoas not to obstruct its full and complete use. It is also readily seen that despite the fact that the door is mounted at the lower part' of the fuselage so as to curve downwardly and inwardly relatively to the center of the fuselage, the movement of the door inwardly and outwardly is on substantially horizontal tracksso that the weightof the doorneed notv be overcome in moving the door from the open position of Fig. 3 to the closed or nested position of Fig.2. Thelengthwise movement of the door relatively to the doorway is also quite simple as is now clear. It is thought that the many; advantages inherent in my contribution totheart willnow be quite apparent and that no further description of my invention or its-operation is now necessary- I now claim:

1. An airplane fuselage having an exterior-wall with a doorway formed therein providing. access to the interior of the plane,.a door for said doorway, a trackway extending longitudinally of said plane across said, doorway, a second trackway extending longitudinally of said'plane on said fuselage exterior wall, means mounting said door -on said trackways for sliding movement thereon and for movementfrom one trackway to the other when-said trackways are in operating alignment, said means; holding said door against endwise movement off said trackways, additional trackways mounted at each side'of said doorway extending between the inner andvouter surfaces of said exterior wall, and rollers mounting said first trackway onv said additional .trackways for movement with said door into and out of. nesting relation to said door. l

2; An airplane fuselage having an exterior wall with a doorway formed therein providing. access to the interior ofthe p1ane,-a door for said doorway, a trackway extending longitudinallyof said plane across said doorway, ,a. second/trackway extending longitudinally of said plane'on .said fuselage Y exterior wall, additional trackways mounted at each side of said doorway extending between. the inner and outer surfaces of saidexterior wall, rollers mounting said first "trackwa'y on. said additional trackways for sliding'movementinwardly and outwardly relatively to. said doorway and positioning said trackway in-alignment with said second trackway WhGll'SflidmfiI'St trackway is moved-:to apredetermined position relatively to said doorway, and rollers mounting said door for sliding movement on said first and second trackway-s for movement from one trackway to the other, and for sliding movement. with said first, trackway inwardly and outwardlmof said doorway on said additionaltrackwaysh 3. An airplane fuselage having an exterior wall with a doorway formedthereintproviding.access .to the interior of the plane, a doorfor said doordoor for movement inwardly into nested relation to said doorway and outwardly relatively to said doorway and for movement from a position outwardly of said doorway to one side of said doorway.

4. An airplane fuselage having an exterior wall with a, doorway formed therein providing access to the interior of the plane, a door for said doorway, a trackway mounted on said exterior wall of said fuselage to one side of said doorway and with its outer surface flush with the outer surface of the fuselage, support means secured to said door whereby it slides on said trackway from a position in alignment with said doorway to a position to one side of said doorway, a second trackway, means mounting said second trackway for movement transversely of said doorway from a position within said doorway to a second position outwardly thereof and into longitudinal alignment with said first trackway, said support REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Brokering Sept. 30, 1941 Brister May 25, 1943 Number 

